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░ ██ ██ Artist: Legacy of Emptiness ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Over the Past █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-10-04 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Black Lion Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ NorwayÆs LEGACY OF EMPTINESS was originally born █
█ as a two-piece act called PERMAFROST in 1995. A █
█ Symphonic/Black/Extreme Metal band, their release █
█ their eponymous debut in 2011. Now this year, the █
█ band released their second full-length album ôOver █
█ the Past,ö which contains nine new tracks. Black █
█ Metal in general has enjoyed much success lately, █
█ as new waves of bands appear in the genre like █
█ stars in the night sky. It still remains an █
█ underground product for the most partàperhaps the █
█ best kept secrets in all of the Metal world. I █
█ have heard some truly outstanding albums this █
█ year, and it has pushed my foray into the genre █
█ with great haste. LetÆs get to the album here. █
█ ôReminisceö is the opening song. A beautiful and █
█ haunting keyboard passage leads into the main █
█ riff. Slightly faster than mid-tempo but not in █
█ the realm of frenetic, the music is intense and █
█ heavy but clear to understand. The blackened █
█ vocals are also steady and discernable, and not █
█ over-the-top shrieks. An ambient keyboard passage █
█ connects some of the chaos with a pause for █
█ emotional effect. █
█ █
█ ôDespairö is a bit shorter. The Symphonic elements █
█ are there but they do not threaten to take over █
█ the track, but rather add that layer of support █
█ that keeps the sound unique. They mix up some of █
█ the riffs here as well, with texture and █
█ character. The clean vocal passages over the █
█ featherbed of acoustical guitars is graceful and █
█ angelic. ôAngelmakerö opens with a slower pace but █
█ picks up speed leading into the main sound. It █
█ gathers darkness as it moves along; oppressive and █
█ foreboding from drum blasts. About half way █
█ through, it slows again and the keyboard notes █
█ ring out in the background, warm and inviting. █
█ Sometimes the refined despondent sound reminds me █
█ of some of the chord progressions by the band █
█ INSOMNIUM. They are poetic and curvaceous, █
█ pleasing to the ear. █
█ █
█ By contrast, ôInto the Eternal Pits of █
█ Nothingnessö is vehement and brutal from the █
█ opening note. After a minute of throat-cutting █
█ razor swipes, it slows a little, gathering █
█ elegance from some sweet lead guitar notes and █
█ keyboards. It picks back up soon however. If you █
█ are in the mood for an earth-scorching █
█ incineration, this would be your go to track on █
█ the album. ôDrawn by Nightmaresö has a beautiful █
█ opening, with a mix of major and minor chords █
█ under a bed of clean vocals that are almost chants █
█ in their delivery. ItÆs a hypnotic dirge, despite █
█ the fierceness of the blackened vocals here and █
█ there. If this doesnÆt give you nightmares, you █
█ might want to check your pulse. The piano notes █
█ remind of the bells that accompany the theme song █
█ in the movie classic ôA Nightmare on Elm Street.ö █
█ █
█ ôThere Was a Manö lets some Symphonic elements █
█ lead in the sound before the tsunami of sound hits █
█ you in the mid-section and sends you feet over █
█ head into the abyss. The rhythm established here █
█ is a thick affair as well. ôFour Hundred Yearsö █
█ has some great keyboard work that sounds more like █
█ a church organàbut not the kind of church you █
█ might visit on a Sunday morning. From there it has █
█ a nice doomy sound, and allows the desolation to █
█ creep into your mind slowly, turning it to black █
█ cell by cell. The ending comes at you like a █
█ Classical movement, with strings abounding and the █
█ end of the world on the horizon. ôTransitionö is a █
█ nice mood-breaking song on the album. The piano █
█ parts are simple but exquisite, and create a █
█ somber sound. █
█ █
█ ôEvening Starö closes the album. At this point, █
█ all of the pain is at full mast and there is no █
█ escaping it. The guitar work here is very well █
█ done. The notes sing high in the sky, like silent █
█ screams brought to life, and the brutality is akin █
█ to the merciless slayings of a decorated swordsman █
█ on the battle field. This song seems to embody the █
█ sound on the album the best for me. Balance is the █
█ key to this being as well-crafted as it is. It █
█ strikes a near-perfect contrast between the █
█ intensity of Black Metal, the despondent and teary █
█ elements of Doom, and just the right amount of █
█ symphony. DonÆt let this album pass you by this █
█ year as it is excellent from start to finish. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Reminisce - Valley of Unrest II 6:37 ░
░ 2. Despair 4:36 ░
░ 3. Angelmaker 6:04 ░
░ 4. Into the Eternal Pits of Nothingness 4:46 ░
░ 5. Drawn by Nightmares 6:27 ░
░ 6. There Was a Man 5:53 ░
░ 7. Four Hundred Years 5:28 ░
░ 8. Transition 2:58 ░
░ 9. Evening Star 5:55 ░
░ 48:44 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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